Come fall, the word “adapt” is an easy addition to our lexicon. It describes what we all have to do, or try to do, any time there’s a change in our lives. And changes are always happening! Not just in autumn, though the shedding trees are a particularly gorgeous example of this phenomenon.
By definition, to adapt is “to make fit.” It’s what an actor does when they get a new role and sink into it, thereby dyeing their hair copper, or what someone using said formerly blonde icon’s cookbook does when they’re out of local blackberries for their crumble and have to use peaches. (Me, last week, and it was divine.)
This is all to say: Pamela Anderson knows how to adapt. So, it only makes sense that her skincare line Sonsie’s newest release was created to aid in the process. Launching October 16, Adapt Cream is a green-tinted, multifunctional moisturizer that can be anything your skin needs it to be: a redness reducer, spot treatment, barrier support, the list goes on.
“I told everyone, if we’re going to have a new product, it has to be out of this world,” Anderson tells Byrdie. And guess what? It is. So out of this world, in fact, that one of its hero ingredients comes from a place called “Mars on Earth.” Ahead, discover everything there is to know about Adapt Cream, including Anderson’s inspiration and its fully biodegradable packaging.
Sonsie
The Inspiration
By now, we’re all well acquainted with Anderson’s appreciation for a makeup-free red carpet appearance.
“I’ve been using Sonsie for a couple of years now, the full line, and my skin has never looked better. But I do notice I have sunspots, and I thought, ‘Well, if we can find a way to even out skin tone, that would just be ideal,'” the actress shares.
While she’s in no way upset about her freckles, the idea of a barrier cream that could double as “makeup” was brilliant—and Sonsie’s newly appointed CEO, product developer Kailey Bradt, had been developing just the thing. Take, for example, the idea of someone who was once big on concealer but is adapting to a less makeup-heavy lifestyle.
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“We’ll still use makeup and we’re not opposed to makeup, but Adapt Cream gives you a little bit more confidence to walk out the door without makeup and just be,” Anderson says. “Because that’s the most beautiful thing you can be. And it’s what we’re supposed to be. No judgment on anywhere anybody is in their beauty journey, but sometimes it’s nice when it just hits you and you go, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m good enough just like this.'”
The Formula
Like the rest of us, Anderson is constantly inundated with AI ads making insane promises and boasting not-so-real before-and-after results.
“I keep thinking, ‘How can they say this?’ That’s why it was important to me that this product was going to be noticeable [immediately],” she says. “I wanted it to be multifunctional. I wanted it to be easy. You can’t put this on wrong, and that’s good for me, because I like things simple.”
Sonsie
The immediate redness reduction comes from the cream’s green tint. That’s one form of adaptation (it’s color theory—the green cancels out the redness of your skin, helping it adapt to a more even skin tone), and the formula’s 1% Bacillus Ferment Blend offers another. The enzymatic ingredient, which grows in the aforementioned river in Spain coined “Mars of Earth,” adapts to your skin to boost cell regeneration and hydration while also helping to rebuild your skin barrier over time.
Then, there’s a 2.5% Adaptive Tripeptide Blend. It’s been proven to increase collagen production and preserve it against UV degradation. Put it all together, and you’re left with is a thick, playfully hued barrier cream that you can use under your eyes, on a dry patch, or all over to help your skin thrive in any environment.
After cleansing and applying serum, you’ll want to apply your Adapt Cream to moist skin. It’s suitable for all skin types and can be used daily as an all-over morning moisturizer or spot treatment.
The Packaging
Considering her immense celebrity (to put it lightly), Anderson has spent a lifetime being chased down to put her name on a product. She’s had some great collaborations, but this is the first that she says really ticks all her boxes. In the past, the answer she received when she asked for something to be biodegradable was a gentle “no.” The excuse? “It’s not going to last.” But this is, and it does.
Adapt Cream is the first Sonsie product to debut in fully biodegradable, plastic-free packaging, an addition to the line—all offerings will get there eventually—that Anderson is “very proud of.” The jar is made from Vivomer, a bio-based material grown by microbes instead of petroleum. Its free of microplastics, safe for soil (in landfill conditions, too), and can be recycled back into the brand’s supply chain. You can even throw it in your at-home compost bin.
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To make this happen, Sonsie collaborated with biomaterials pioneer Shellworks. Their hope is that other brands move in the same direction.
“It’s collaboration, not competition, that’s going to drive this industry forward when it comes to sustainability,” says Bradt. “Sonsie is setting a new standard for beauty brands with this move, and I hope to see other brands join us in embracing innovation.”
Pamela Anderson on Adapting
Anderson is always adapting, especially when it comes to her now signature no-makeup routine. “Even if you are cooking and baking, it takes a lot of failures to find out what works. It’s about experimenting with what feels good and what works for you,” she explains. “I’ve had a long life of experimenting with different things, and this is what I’ve come to love. The simplicity works for me.”
“I like to say love is a decision. It’s not just a feeling. And happiness is a choice and it’s a practice and intention is really important,” she continues. “Having a joyful experience when it comes to your beauty routine is really important because there’s nothing more attractive than being in love, or being in love with life, or being in love with who you are as a person.”
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“I know those things might seem cliche, but it really is how I’m trying to live my life, how I’m rewriting my life as a love story,” she adds. “There’s a goddess in every woman. We just need to bring her to the surface.”
The Review
I like to think I’m fairly good at adapting to new situations mentally. My body is another story—and I don’t know if I’d call the genre love. A change in scenery, routine, or even water filtration means bumps, redness, and who knows what else will take over my otherwise sweetly nourished skin.
This stuff? Basically magic. If I asked a fairy to bring me a face cream, I know this is what they’d deliver—as long as I promised I’d stick the jar in my garden compost bin when I was done with it.
Sophie Vilenski
I tested Adapt Cream for over a month, bringing it on an international trip where my skin indeed went bonkers the second I touched down. Dabbing it on daily, I was immediately impressed with how it made the redness subside and even more thrilled with how moisturized my skin felt after a long day romping around.
Funnily enough, my favorite time to use this is the day after an event I go makeup-full for. I’m typically an SPF-only or tinted moisturizer girl, so serious foundation has a way of messing with my skin. I’m as flawed when I take it off as I was flawless when it was freshly applied. On those days, Adapt Cream did the job of calming my upset skin while also offering a little of the same concealment I had when I went hard with actual concealer the day before.
Also, for the first time in my life, I’m excited to be done with the jar. The earth can have it back, and my next one, too. I will be repurchasing, unless the fairies gift it to me first.
You can shop Sonsie Adapt Cream ($58) beginning October 16 exclusively at sonsieskin.com.
